DECK OFFICER CASE STUDY

Conversation with Bryn Beaurain

Four and half months ago I was lucky enough to get offered the opportunity of a lifetime to work with United Arab Shipping Company on board one of their vessels Al Murabba. I was going to be the first British Extra Third Officer UASC had employed.

“My trip started by flying out to Cairo on the 3rd of May. I then got picked up and taken to the hotel in Port Said which was about a three-hour drive from the airport.”

“This was an exciting time for me seeing my new vessel approaching”

“I arrived in the hotel the same day and awaited the ship to dock in Port Said. Unknown to me at the time the vessel was at anchor picking up some supplies. The vessel remained at anchor for two days. On the 5th May 0300 local time I was picked up and taken to Immigration to join the vessel. On the way to Immigration the agent informed me that a ship had hit a container gantry crane causing a fire which then meant the port had been closed.”

“Once through Immigration I was taken to the harbour where a launch was going to take me out to the vessel to transit the Suez Canal. This was an exciting time for me seeing my new vessel approaching. Seeing how monstrous she was coming towards us. I felt like we were the ant and the ship was the boot!”

“I was treated with respect and left to get on with tasks on my own”

“That afternoon I went on the bridge for the first time on the Chief Officers watch. He was an Egyptian and a very helpful Officer who wanted to help me progress my career. He taught me things I did not know throughout the trip and helped me get my first foot on the ladder.”

“I worked from 0400-0800 and 1600-2000 on the bridge and 0900 to 1100 out on deck maintaining lifesaving appliances and learning a lot about the ship. Being a Cadet is a lot different to being an Officer in my case. I was treated with respect and left to get on with tasks on my own.”

“In the second month on board the Chief Officer would finish his watch at 1830 which then allowed me to gain some sole look-out experience. This was frightening to begin with but I was taught at college if ever you are in doubt call the captain, which I did on several occasions.  He would help talk me through the situation and what might be a better way to handle the same situation next time.”

“The Captain and Chief Officer believed I took it in my stride”

“Coming into port I was in charge of the aft mooring station which was an interesting situation as in your cadetship if something goes wrong it is not your responsibility – but now it was. Taking charge of people and learning how to manage them is something as a cadet I had never experienced but the Captain and Chief Officer believed I took it in my stride.”

“The route while I was on board the vessel started at Port Said Egypt, Suez Egypt, Jeddah Saudi Arabia, Port Klang Malaysia, Qingdao China, Busan South Korea, Shanghai China, Ningbo China, Yantian China, Port Klang Malaysia, Jeddah Saudi Arabia, Suez Egypt, Port Said Egypt, La Spezia Italy, Genoa Italy, Fos France, Valencia Spain and back to Port Said, Suez, Jeddah, Khorfakan UAE and to Port Klang where I then signed off.”

“Work hard and enjoy the experience”

“Is there anything I wish I had known before going on board? Yes I wish I had known they had internet on board which helped me keep in touch with my family and friends, if I had known I could have done my online banking and last but not least a dollars account is important as you are paid in dollars.”

“I am now waiting to hear when I get sent back. Good luck to any of you who are offered the same position. Work hard and enjoy the experience.”

Start Your Career

Our experienced team of recruitment and training officers can provide you with help and guidance on roles and vacancies – and support in applying for sponsorship.

Boston Putford Offshore Safety Ltd

Operates standby support vessels.

Careers at sea with Boston Putford Offshore Safety Ltd.

Based:
Lowestoft, Suffolk.

Profile:
Operates a fleet of Support Vessels in both the North Sea and other areas providing Emergency Response, Supply and Underwater Exploration/Construction services for the offshore oil and gas exploration and production industry.

Ship Types Operated:
Standby

Company website:
www.bostonputford.com

Britannia Aggregates Ltd

Operates aggregate mining vessels extracting sand and gravel.

Train as a deck cadet with Britannia Aggregates Ltd.

Based:
Northfleet, Kent.

Profile:
Operates a Marine Aggregate Dredger engaged in the mining of sand and gravel from the sea bed in licensed areas of the open sea around the UK & the Continent of Europe for delivery to UK and other European ports.

Ship Types Operated:
Aggregate Mining Vessels

Company website:
www.brett.co.uk

CEMEX Marine Ltd

Operates aggregate mining vessels extracting sand and gravel.

CEMEX, an SSTG Member for 10 years.

Based:
Southampton, Hampshire.

Profile:
Operates a fleet of Marine Aggregate Dredgers engaged in the mining of sand and gravel from the sea bed in licensed areas of the open sea around the UK & the Continent of Europe for delivery to UK and other European ports.

Ship Types Operated:
Aggregate Mining Vessels

Company website:
www.cemex.co.uk

CMA-CGM Ltd

Operates aggregate mining vessels extracting sand and gravel.

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Based:
London, UK.

Profile:
Operates a fleet of container vessels on worldwide routes transporting a wide variety of cargoes.

Ship Types Operated:
Container

Company website:
www.cma-cgm.com

Alcedo Shipping Ltd

Operates bulk carriers worldwide.

Alcedo Shipping Ltd.

Based:
London.

Profile:
Operates a fleet of Bulk Carriers on worldwide routes transporting a wide variety of cargoes.

Ship Types Operated:
Bulk Carriers

Company website:
https://www.alcedoshipping.co.uk

Evergreen Marine (UK) Ltd

Operates container vessels for cargo transportation.

Deck Cadet Training with Evergreen Marine (UK) Ltd.

Based:
London.

Profile:
Operates a fleet of container vessels on worldwide routes transporting a wide variety of cargoes.

Ship Types Operated:
Container

Company website:
www.evergreen-marine.co.uk

Gardline Ltd

Operates survey and research vessels.

Deck and engineer cadet training with Gardline Ltd.

Based:
Great Yarmouth, Norfolk.

Profile:
Best in class provider of Marine Geophysical, Geotechnical and Environmental Surveys.

Ship Types Operated:
Survey

Company website:
www.gardline.com

Global Marine Systems Ltd

Operates surface and sub-sea vessels for installation and maintenance of submarine cables.

Seafarer officer training with Global Marine Systems Ltd.

Based:
Chelmsford, Essex.

Profile:
Global Marine Systems Limited, an independent marine engineering company, has been in business for well over 150 years and continues to be the pre-eminent provider of submarine cable installation and maintenance services in the world. Operating the world's largest fleet of cable ships and sub-sea vehicles, it is a market leader in marine cable installation and maintenance for telecommunications, as well as scientific research, oil, gas, utilities and the renewable energy sector. Global Marine is headquartered in the United Kingdom with regional offices in the United States and Asia.

Ship Types Operated:
Cable Repair

Company website:
www.globalmarine.group

Hanson Aggregates Marine Ltd

Operates aggregate mining vessels extracting sand and gravel.

Hanson Aggregates Marine Ltd, an SSTG Member for 10 years.

Based:
Southampton, Hampshire.

Profile:
Operates a fleet of Marine Aggregate Dredgers engaged in the mining of sand and gravel from the sea bed in licensed areas of the open sea around the UK & the Continent of Europe for delivery to UK and other European ports.

Ship Types Operated:
Aggregate Mining Vessels

Company website:
www.heidelbergcement.com

John H. Whitaker (Holdings) Ltd

Operates oil tankers.

Careers at Sea with John H. Whitaker (Tankers) Ltd.

Based:
Hull, North Humberside.

Profile:
Operates a fleet of oil tankers in the European area transporting fuel and oil products for ships and storage depots.

Ship Types Operated:
Tankers

Company website:
www.whitakertankers.com

Saga Shipping Ltd

Operates cruise ships.

Saga Shipping Ltd, an SSTG Member Company for 15 years.

Based:
Folkestone, Kent.

Profile:
This company operates the following types of vessel. Click on vessel for more information:

Ship Types Operated:
Cruise

Company website:
www.saga.co.uk

Tarmac Marine Ltd

Operates aggregate mining vessels extracting sand and gravel.

Tarmac Marine Ltd, trains Deck and Engineer Cadet with SSTG.

Based:
Chichester, West Sussex.

Profile:
Operates a fleet of Marine Aggregate Dredgers engaged in the mining of sand and gravel from the sea bed in licensed areas of the open sea around the UK & the Continent of Europe for delivery to UK and other European ports.

Ship Types Operated:
Aggregate Mining Vessels

Company website:
www.tarmac.com

North Star Shipping (Aberdeen) Ltd

Operates support vessels for offshore oil and gas exploration.

North Star Shipping (Aberdeen) Ltd, an SSTG Member for 10 years.

Based:
Aberdeen.

Profile:
Operates a fleet of support vessels in both the North Sea and other areas providing emergency response, supply and underwater exploration / construction services for the offshore oil and gas exploration and production industry.

Ship Types Operated:
Standby

Company website:
www.northstarshipping.co.uk

P & O Ferries Ltd

Operates vehicle and passenger ferries.

P & O Ferries Ltd, trains Merchant Navy Seafarers with SSTG.

Based:
Dover, Kent.

Profile:
Operates a fleet of large Roll-on Roll-off Vessels between the UK and ports in Europe transporting passengers, their cars, and freight vehicles.

Ship Types Operated:
Ferries

Company website:
www.poferries.com

Seajacks UK Ltd.

Operates specialist jack-up vessels for offshore wind industry.

Seajacks UK Ltd, trains Merchant Navy seafarers with SSTG.

Based:
Great Yarmouth, UK.

Profile:
Seajacks UK are an East Anglian based offshore installation company committed to building the world’s most advanced and versatile fleet of self-propelled jack-up vessels equipped to service the demands of the offshore wind industry. Our on and offshore crews work in full conjunction with all of our clients, looking to provide the most cost-effective solutions in the safest environments possible.

Seajacks has a fleet of 5 GustoMSC designed vessels, all capable of installing and maintaining offshore wind farms in harsh conditions. Seajacks fleet includes; Seajacks Kraken, Seajacks Leviathan, Seajacks Hydra, Seajacks Zaratan and Seajacks Scylla.

Seajacks utilise DP2 positioning for fast and efficient rig moves, with no need for tugs means there is year round operating ability in the harsh conditions of the Southern North Sea. The DP2 systems make all of the vessels fully capable of driving their four legs into the seabed, providing them with a steady platform and ensuring they remain uncompromised by the conditions of the sea below.

Seajacks Scylla is equipped with a 1500t leg-encircling crane, incorporate useable deck space of up to 5000m², and has 8000t of available variable load. Sailing at speeds of 12 knots or over, Scylla is outfitted with 105m long legs that have the ability to install components in water depths of up to 65m.

Ship Types Operated:
Jack-up

Company website:
www.seajacks.com

CldN RoRo Ltd.


Operates freight vessels for Irish Sea crossings.

CldN RoRo Ltd, trains ETO Officer cadets with SSTG.

Based:
Heysham, Lancashire.

Profile:
As a UK cadet you will complete your sea service whilst under training on the UK based vessels serving between the UK and Ireland. The company has a fleet of modern vessels concentrating on the freight market.

Ship Types Operated:
Ferries

Company website: 

www.cldn.com

WISTA International

Based:

Profile:
International networking organisation whose mission is to attract and support women, at the management level.

WISTA are pleased to announce a joint venture initiative with the Maritime Educational Foundation for the sponsorship of up to three candidates to train and qualify as Merchant Navy Officers commencing in September 2024.

The training will involve studying at one of the specialist nautical colleges in the UK, and completing sea service on a range of ship types. The training will follow one of the established programmes and lead to a degree level-based qualification in addition to all the necessary professional training.

The available sponsorship will include all tuition fees paid, the cost of training at sea and a generous allowance paid throughout the training.

Successful candidates will need to support the aims and objectives of WISTA Intentional. Attendance at a small number of WISTA events interspersed throughout the training will be required to promote this initiative to the current membership and assist in the promotion that this opportunity will provide candidates in future years.

Interested candidates should apply here at SSTG in the first instance quoting WISTA as your choice of sponsor.

Company website:
www.wistainternational.com

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Rochester
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